(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved structure of a switching device for an electrical connector, and more particularly, to such a structure which can considerably reduce relative size, simplify the production process and lower the manufacturing cost. According to this invention, a plurality of terminals used in the conventional switching devices have been improved, each of them being formed of a thin laminate by press work, having a connecting plate as the central portion thereof and two connecting heads arranged at the opposite sides of the connecting plate in a staggered and parallel manner, the connecting plate and the two connecting heads are longitudinally connected together. Based on the thickness of the connecting plate, a plurality of grooves are formed in two plastic members respectively for inserting the connecting plate therein. As a result, the two plastic members are more compact, and the insulating walls between each two adjacent terminals are relatively thick to enhance the insulation effect.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
The application of the electrical connector in general is very extensive. However, the electrical connector is generally divided into male and female portions according to the type of connection, and there is no specific restriction of a standard in the adoption for various instruments. Under such circumstances, the utilization of an adapter is required to achieve the effect of connecting and switching. The most conventional manner for achieving an electrical connector is to solder the terminals on two separate connecting blocks with wire, and then to coat the result with materials, such as insulating plastics, for which the manufacturing process is very complicated and difficult, resulting in higher costs, reduced production capacity, and, due to the sophisticated internal wiring, a variety of errors. Therefore, the price of the single direction switching device is expensive and is difficult to promote and market.
Recently there has been developed a type of switching device formed by using two plastic members to engage a plurality of terminals therein, which is easier to assemble, smaller in size and lower in manufacturing costs. On the other hand, the examples as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,618,196, 4,781,625, Switz. Pat. No. 0,366,872, and CCCP. Pat. No. 0,645,227 are improvements on the switching device for electrical connector. However, it is found that all the prior art terminals are first made of a thin laminate by press work into a lengthy strip form (refer to FIG. 1), then the connecting plate 1 as the central portion thereof, is bent manually to form two connecting heads in a staggered and parallel arrangement, and finally the terminals of such a design are inserted into the terminal holes of the plastic members. As the prior art terminals are manufactured in such a way as above mentioned, when the terminals are inserted into the plastic members, the horizontal space occupied by the connecting plate 1 therein is subject to the width of connecting plate 1 (not its thickness). Since such a width must bear quite a large bending force, and in view of the insertion force caused during the insertion process of terminal into the terminal holes, it is not advisable to have it shaped too narrow. In this case, the number of terminals to be arranged in the plastic members is limited. Further, since the bending work with respect to the connecting plate is done manually, it is both time and labor consuming, and very uneconomical. Moreover, since the connecting plate 1 occupies a certain space horizontally, which makes the whole switching device unable to be efficiently reduced in size and it is thereby impossible to increase the spacing between each two adjacent terminals, thus resulting in unsatisfactory insulating dffect.